Fitness and Health – Page 7 – ever-changing evermore

Hills

April 13, 2016April 14, 2016 by Courtney, posted in 2016 Race Training, 41st Year, Fitness and Health

I hate running hills. I’ve become more accepting of them, but I still dread them. For the first time ever, I’m doing some real speed training for a half marathon and that involves hill sprints. Because the first leg of the relay I’m running is hilly and described as, “hard,” I thought I’d better stick to the training plan and tackle some hills.

I had planned a particular stretch of road but it’s busy and noisy and I’d feel too exposed, so I changed my plan. There’s a pretty decent hill by the kids’ school that I usually avoid (ha ha!) so I measured it and its grade – it was 0.16 miles and almost a 6% grade. That would work!

I started my fitness band (which has the plan programmed into it so it beeps at me when it’s time to transition) and was off on my 15:00 warm-up run. I finished the warm-up at the bottom of the hill and went straight into it. I charged up that thing for 1:30:00 and then jogged another minute and a half back down to do it again. I did that 10 times – it took 30 minutes and ended up being 3.2 miles of my 6.0 mile run, half of which was up that hill. My pace suffered some but in was still under a 10:00 pace and had I run down the hill faster, it would have been similar to Mondays run (I had to pace myself down the hill to not over-shoot my starting point to run up the hill again).

And do you know what? I kind of liked it. I did. I’m learning to really enjoy the directed training runs (intervals, hills, tempo) quite a bit. I’ve never been one to coast through challenges but that is exact what I’ve usually done in regards to distance running training. It’s time to push myself.

It Gets Harder Before it Gets Easier

April 11, 2016April 14, 2016 by Courtney, posted in 2016 Race Training, Fitness and Health

I had a 14k run on my training plan today, and I spent last night mentally preparing myself for it. 14k converts to 8.7 miles and I like to go further than designated, so I told myself I’d be running 9.0 miles in the morning. I got my flipbelt and water bottle out and ready, laid out my outfit and post-run clothes, and packed some snacks. I was ready!

I haven’t run 9.0 miles in years… Like 6 or 7 years? I don’t even know! My pace this spring is 30-45 seconds faster per mile than this time last year, and it’s definitely better than when I ran my last half marathon. Because of my improved pace, I wasn’t nervous at all. I had my route planned out and it was direct and easy to navigate (I can trend to drag my feet and trip).

This morning, my husband asked why I was in shorts and wondered if I had enough clothes on because it was cold. He always over dresses when he runs so I dismissed his concerns with a laugh. That was a mistake!

When it was time to run, I noticed the wind and decided to keep my down jacket on – my husband was right. It was pretty cold! I changed my route because the wind was concerning to me, and I wanted to stay within 2-3 miles of my car for the entire run in case I wimped out. I forgot my water bottle, and I took off.

It was hard. It was a very hard run. The wind was brutal with an aggressive 25 mph headwind on my 1-mile uphill trek. Awesome! I was beat as I turned into the flat stretch back toward my car and it took everything in me to just keep going. I didn’t time it perfectly and had to end on another uphill stretch but I got it done. And that’s what matters… It’s done.

Given the wind and some technical difficulties with my music, I’m thrilled with my overall pace. It was 2 seconds faster per mile than it was last week when I ran 7.66 miles, so I’m holding my pace well and slightly improving (2 seconds is an improvement, if absolutely minimal, ha!).

Next week is a 16k, so I’ll stretch it to 10.3 miles just to keep moving in the right direction. And like today, I won’t check the weather in case there’s more wind that could cause me to wimp out… That was a great lesson learned without even knowing I was learning it at the time. 😁

Training, Training, Training!

April 11, 2016 by Courtney, posted in 2016 Race Training, Fitness and Health

I finished up my Hammer and Chisel challenge just after committing to a half marathon in Colorado in July with some blog friends. I am really chomping at the bit to ramp up my running since I’m running long distances at 30-45 seconds per mile faster than this time last year. I started a real training plan, not the type that I usually do to just skate by, and was off and running, literally.

Then, I got a little ambitious and signed up for a half marathon that happens on June 4. I’ve done it before, it’s rather easy, and some friends are doing it with me so it will be a good old time and will keep me motivated and prepared for the half in July.

And then, I selected a 6 week half marathon training program for shits and giggles and the date set for running the half marathon was April 30, and there just happens to be one in town that weekend so I signed up, despite the notorious hills it’s known for. I was nervous about it until I ran a 12K last week with little to no effort. A half in 4 weeks would be not problem.

And then, a friend texted me about a 75 mile relay race on May 7th. They needed two more runners and my name came up and I, of course, said yes. I have two legs of that race, a 5.7 mile “hard” hilly segment and a 4.3 mile “easy to moderate” segment. That first segment of mine is the only one on the entire 75 mile course that is labeled as “hard.” Awesome! So I checked out their training plan, just to be sure I’m prepared, and they have you running twice in one day, one day a week.

In a nutshell, the calendar is below. Funny that the race that started it all is the one that will be run last (unless I do the Minnesota half on 8/6… still undecided there):

April 30 – Half Marathon in DSM (Drake Relay ROADS half)

May 7 – Market to Market 75 mile Relay race

June 4 – Dam to Dam half in DSM

July 23 – Prairie Dog half marathon in Castle Rock, CO

(Maybe August 4) – Minnesota half in St. Paul

That’s a lot of distance running this spring and summer. I’ve had to really think about how to combine all of my training plans into one, and I’ve come up with a good plan that is broken into two sections – March/April and then May 1 – July 23.

I’ve been doing a good job of getting my training runs in and am averaging 3 strength training and 2-3 PiYo sessions a week when you don’t look at my birthday week and the week that I had to sell a bunch of stuff on FB (that is very time-consuming when you sell as much as quickly as I do – I’m an aggressive seller). Strength and PiYo always come second to running, but they are still on the middle burner. I am not slacking with ab work and that’s helping keep my back strong. I’ve seen a huge benefit from combining strength and PiYo with running, so I will keep doing all of these things.

After the relay, I’ll go back to my 6-week half marathon training schedule until the June 4 half and then I’ll get more aggressive with speed training so that I’m not completely defeated by the elevation in Colorado.

That’s my plan!

I’m not getting bogged down in stats and tracking this time – my main goal is running training. I’d like to weigh 145.0 pounds or less every Wednesday, and I’d like to end up after the relay with a body fat %-age safely back in the mid 21.x% range. When I weighed in on 3/24, I weighed 146.4 pounds and my body fat percentage was 23.3%. Today, on 4/10, I weigh 143.4 pounds with a body fat percentage of 22.1%. Everything is moving in the right direction!

As of today, my abs are toning up and they look like this – I’m satisfied. I would like to see more improvement, but I’m satisfied (I think they’re in better shape than they were back on March 10, but that could just be lighting):

4 10 16 abs 2 — Unflexed (left) : Flexed (right)

I like to end these training/challenge initiation posts with a little, “here I go” pep talk, but I’m already going. So, “here I keep going!”

Abs Show Progress, or Lack-There-Of!

March 12, 2016 by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Hammer & Chisel

I have a new measuring stick when it comes to my fitness – my abs. The last 9 weeks really whipped them into shape and they went from being acceptable to really defined for a gal who was never an athlete growing up. I sort of became obsessed with them, celebrating little things like a new vein popping up on my stomach or a smaller “muffin top” when I’d sit.

I worked really hard for them, and continue to do so. I do abdominal work *almost* every night. I have a really bad back and with stronger abs, my back feels better so there are a lot of reasons to take care of them. I snap pictures every few weeks to make sure I’m not slacking. Ha!

This is how I'll take front and side photos to show close-up progress - consider this my mid-program progress photo! — February 4, 2016

The vein that appeared on my stomach after a couple of weeks of H&C started to fade last week when I slacked off. But just 3 days back on and here it is, even when I'm not flexed. Hooray! — February 25, 2016

From February 4 to March 10, it’s obvious there’s been some slacking off. I’m back on the wagon though, and I expect a bit of a turn-around the next time I feel compelled to photograph my abs for comparison reasons.

H&C Challenge – Weeks 8 & 9 – ALL DONE!

March 12, 2016 by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Hammer & Chisel

Week 8 Statistics (Ending 03/01/2016)

Weight: x pounds
Body Fat %: x%
Time Spent Being Active (>= 6 hours): 6 Hours 28 Minutes
- Miles Run: 21.01 Miles
- Number of Runs (>=3 runs a week): 5 Runs
Days within Calorie Goals per MFP (1390): 5 days

Exercise:
- Wednesday – Ran 3.0 miles in 28:30; Walked 0.55 miles in 8:00; Hammer Plyo (25:00); 10 Ab Hammer (12:00)
- Thursday – 10 Ab Hammer (15:00)
- Friday – Ran 4.5 miles in 45:07; Walked 0.50 miles in 7:18; Lifted weights (34:00)
- Saturday – Rest – BUSY DAY!
- Sunday – Ran 4.0 miles in 39:50; Walked 0.35 miles in 5:00; 10 Ab Hammer (12:00)
- Monday – Ran 5.01 miles in 45:20; Walked 0.3 miles in 5:19; 10 Ab Hammer (13:00)
- Tuesday – Incline walked 2.8 miles in 40:08; Lifted weights (40:00); 10 Ab Hammer (12:00)
Notes:
- I am really bored with lifting weights – I’m struggling keeping motivated to drag weights out every day
Picture of the Week:

The Week’s Workouts:

Week 8 + 1 Statistics (Ending 03/08/16) – FINAL!

Weight: x pounds
Body Fat %: x%
Time Spent Being Active (>= 6 hours): 7 Hours 23 Minutes
- Miles Run: 23.59 Miles
- Number of Runs (>=3 runs a week): 5 Runs
Days within Calorie Goals per MFP (1390): 5 days

Exercise:
- Wednesday – Ran 3.0 miles in 33:32; Walked 0.2 miles in 3:00; 10 Ab Hammer (12:00); Weight lifting (22:00)
- Thursday – Ran 2.0 miles in 21:11; Walked 1.85 miles in 26:50; 10 Ab Hammer (12:00); Weight lifting (26:00)
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday – Ran 6.0 miles in 53:00
- Sunday – 10 Ab Hammer (13:00)
- Monday – Ran 6 miles in 55:00; Walked 0.54 miles in 10:00; 10 Ab Hammer (12:00); ISO Speed Hammer (23:00); PiYo Sweat (27:00)
- Tuesday – Ran 3.3 miles in 30:00; Walked 0.7 miles in 11:30; Hammer Conditioning (30:00); 10 Ab Hammer (12:00)
Notes:
- It seems strange that I’m having a downturn in stats but am spending plenty of time exercising… I blame it all on food and exhaustion. Not excuses, but reasons
- I didn’t weigh in because we had a date night the night before Wednesday
- Overall, I’m happy with my progress and the program, but I will say that lifting weights 6 days a week is really hard to do – I’m ready for a break!
Before and After Photos:

9 Weeks of weight lifting and it's obvious my abs were the big winner! — 9 Weeks of weight lifting and it’s obvious my abs were the big winner!

Not exactly the same angle, but there are some changes

I'll take it! Definite progress in arms and abs — I’ll take it! Definite progress in arms and abs

Honestly, I don't notice much of a change here other than my shoulder muscle looking larger — Honestly, I don’t notice much of a change here other than my shoulder muscle looking larger

H&C Challenge – Weeks 6 & 7

February 26, 2016 by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Hammer & Chisel

Week 6 Statistics (Ending 02/16/16)

Weight: ? pounds
Body Fat %: ?%
Time Spent Being Active (>= 6 hours): 5 Hours 38 Minutes
- Miles Run: 13.17 Miles
- Number of Runs (>=3 runs a week): 3 Runs
Days within Calorie Goals per MFP (1390): 6 days
Exercise:
- Wednesday – Ran 5.05 miles in 50:00; Walked 0.40 miles in 5:50; Hammer Conditioning (30:00); 10 Hammer Abs (12:00); 7-Day Arms/Back Challenge (7DABC) (11:00)
- Thursday – Chisel Cardio (38:00); 1/2 of Chisel Endurance (16:00); 7DABC (5:00); 10 Ab Chisel (10:00); Ran 3.03 miles in 32:00; Ran 0.34 in 5:00
- Friday – Hammer Power (38:00)
- Saturday – Rest- SICK
- Sunday – Rest – SICK
- Monday – Total Body Chisel (35:00); 7DABC (7:00), Ran 4.0 miles in 38:19; Walked 0.35 miles in 5:16
- Tuesday – Rest
Notes:
- Not a good week – I’m burned out. More on that later.
The Week’s Workouts:

Week 7 Statistics (Ending 02/23/16)

Weight: 141.8 pounds
Body Fat %: 21.4%
Time Spent Being Active (>= 6 hours): 6 Hours 27 Minutes
- Miles Run: 20.27 Miles
- Number of Runs (>=3 runs a week): 5 Runs
Days within Calorie Goals per MFP (1390): 6 days

Exercise:
- Wednesday – Ran 3.1 miles in 27:46; ISO Strength Chisel (35:00); 10 Ab Hammer (12:00)
- Thursday – Ran 3.0 miles in 29:45: Walked 0.35 miles in 5:12; ISO Speed Hammer (24:00); 21DFX Yoga (10:00)
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday – Ran 5.14 miles in 49:33; Ran 1.01 miles in 10:16
- Sunday – Ran 3.10 miles in 26:52; Walked 0.56 in 12:00; Hammer Abs (13:00)
- Monday – Chisel Endurance (36:00); 10 Ab Chisel (12:00)
- Tuesday – Ran 3.0 miles in 28:13; Ran 1.01 miles in 8:07!; Max Hammer Strength (36:00); 10 Ab Hammer (12:00)
Notes:
- I am adding a +1 week at the end to make up all of the skipped H&C workouts from my week of burn-out (overlap between weeks 6 and 7)
- From this Sunday on, I hope to do ab work every single day until 3/8
- I’ve modified my plan for the next fitness period that I’ll be tracking to be more realistic with my abilities to do both weights and ramp up my running
Pictures of the Week:

Bryson and I went for a run today, first one in months! I wasn't sure if he'd still tolerate it, but he loved it! So there we were, pretty far from home and about to turn 3.5 miles and shooting for a total of 5 so I took a little park access road back, thinking it hooked back into the trail. It didn't. We ended up at the end of the road with a creek between us and the trail. Hmmm... Not about to tack on an additional 1+ miles by going back, I decided to all-terrain it across the TINY creek with Bryson in the BOB. I got him across but the front wheel started sinking into the mud, and I was attached to the stroller with the wrist strap and could not get leverage to hop across. I fell into the creek and the stroller turned completely over, with Bryson upside down in the mud! He was unfazed and we got upright again, but we were covered in mud! I grabbed my phone, brushed myself off, laughed with a gal who watched the whole thing, and headed home. 6.15 miles later, I strolled up our sidewalk and... No house key. It fell into the creek. So, we hopped in the car (hubs was in the driveway on his way out) and drove back to that damn access road and retrieved the key and my rape whistle. Three things were confirmed with this experience: 1) I can laugh anything off as long as the sun is shining, 2) I NEVER lose anything and 3) my kid is the most tolerant running buddy EVER! — Bryson and I went for a run together on Saturday, first one in months! I wasn’t sure if he’d still tolerate it, but he loved it! So there we were, pretty far from home and about to turn 3.5 miles and shooting for a total of 5 so I took a little park access road back, thinking it hooked back into the trail. It didn’t. We ended up at the end of the road with a creek between us and the trail. Hmmm… Not about to tack on an additional 1+ miles by going back, I decided to all-terrain it across the TINY creek with Bryson in the BOB. I got him across but the front wheel started sinking into the mud, and I was attached to the stroller with the wrist strap and could not get leverage to hop across. I fell into the creek and the stroller turned completely over, with Bryson upside down in the mud! He was unfazed and we got upright again, but we were covered in mud! I grabbed my phone, brushed myself off, laughed with a gal who watched the whole thing, and headed home. 6.15 miles later, I strolled up our sidewalk and… No house key. It fell into the creek. So, we hopped in the car (hubs was in the driveway on his way out) and drove back to that damn access road and retrieved the key and my rape whistle. Three things were confirmed with this experience: 1) I can laugh anything off as long as the sun is shining, 2) I NEVER lose anything and 3) my kid is the most tolerant running buddy EVER!

I am exhausted behind my own belief, and the kids are in quiet time/napping, and I really just wanted to sit around and think about how tired I am. Yes, pity party over here. But that's not a good use of time so I laced up my runners and hit the pavement. Fastest 5k time of my entire existence! I guess it's time to start really thinking about upping my speed! Sub 27:00 - my goal for years and it wasn't even a race day! — I was exhausted beyond my own belief on Sunday, and the kids were in quiet time/napping, and I really just wanted to sit around and think about how tired I was. Yes, pity party over here. But that’s not a good use of time so I laced up my runners and hit the pavement. Fastest 5k time of my entire existence! Sub 27:00 – my goal for years and it wasn’t even a race day!

The Week’s Workouts:

H&C Challenge – Week 5

February 11, 2016 by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Hammer & Chisel

Week 5 Statistics (Ending 02/09/16)

Weight: 144 pounds
Body Fat %: 21.8%
Time Spent Being Active (>= 6 hours): 4 Hours 57 Minutes
- Miles Run: 10.85 Miles
- Number of Runs (>=3 runs a week): 3 Runs
Days within Calorie Goals per MFP (1390): 5 days

Exercise:
- Wednesday – Chisel Balance (40:00); Ran 3.3 miles in 32:26; Walked 0.20 miles in 3:00
- Thursday – PiYo Sweat (37:00)
- Friday – Ran 3.5 miles in 35:14; Walked 0.65 miles in 10:00; ISO Speed Hammer (23:00); 10 Ab Hammer (11:00)
- Saturday – 10 Ab Hammer (11:00); 10 Ab Chisel (10:00)
- Sunday – REST
- Monday – Ran 3.0 miles in 29:17; Walked 0.2 miles in 3:00; Total Body Hammer (42:00); 10 Ab Hammer (11:00)
- Tuesday – REST (again)
Notes:
- Getting more serious about nutrition this week
- I am changing where I take my close-up front and side photos – the closet has better lighting to see abdominal muscles, something I never thought would be important to me (because I never had them!)
- Life got in the way this week. As I’m writing this, I’ve already run 5.45 miles and done 2 H&C workouts for Wednesday, so I’m back at it.
Progress Photos:

The Week’s Workouts:

Keeping it Real

February 5, 2016 by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Hammer & Chisel, Keeping it Real

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m in a few fitness groups on FB. A while back, someone posted a video of a very fit mom explaining her loose skin, or “pooch,” from having her kids. I totally have the same thing, so I took a peak. She was answering a gal’s question about what you can do to make it go away. The answer is…

Nothing. Well… except plastic surgery. So… NOTHING! 😉

Two days ago, in another FB fitness group with thousands of members, a gal posted a picture of herself standing upright with flexed abs, and then a photo of her tummy when she bends over to show her child-bearing “pooch.” She posted it because she’s gotten lots of attention for her transformation and hard work, and she wanted all of the ladies out there to see that she has a “pooch” that will be with her forever unless she has surgery to remove it, which she has no interest in doing.

I have also noticed that one of the gals in the Hammer and Chisel videos has the same thing as well as stretch marks on her tummy. I really appreciate that the program creators picked someone like her to represent us moms. A lot of the times, these exercise videos only include seriously hard-bodied people and I love that the BB team sees the value in including normal people in their videos. If you’ve seen a 21 Day Fix video, you know what I’m talking about.

So… I’m keeping it real as well! I’ve posted a photo of the spot that plagues me the most, but here is my “pooch,” the saggy, loose skin that shows the world that I am a mom, and a mom who’s proud of what created her “pooch!”

Look at that loose skin when I lean over... I hate it, but I can live with it! — Look at that loose skin when I lean over… I hate it, but I can live with it!

Multiple Workouts Per Day – Really?

February 3, 2016 by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health

In one of the FB fitness groups I’m a part of, a gal asked this: “I always see lots of you doing multiple workouts… is this what I should be doing?!?!” I responded with, “No, you should do what you feel like doing! The only reason I’m doing 2 a day is because hammer and chisel is all about strength, and isn’t a big calorie burner. With the way I eat, I eat very healthy but do have some treats, I need to burn calories too! I’m not using the food containers to sort my food. If you are using them, and following the calendar, then you don’t need to burn extra! That’s my opinion, anyway.”

And then I thought about it, because I think about this a lot.

I am not a person who can half-ass anything that I commit myself to. When I read fitness forums and a minimum of “30 minutes of cardio exercise a day, 5 days a week” is suggested, I think they really mean it. I don’t think they mean “30 minutes including warm-up and cool-down stretching.” They mean 30 minutes of your heart really pumping. Because of this, I feel like 40-45 minutes of “exercise,” including warm-up and cool-down, is the proper minimum per day, 5 days a week, because that gives me 5 minutes to warm up, 5 minutes to cool down, and 5 minutes of bonus cardio. And let’s remember, that suggestion is for CARDIO exercise, not strength training. Unless you’re really pushing hard during strength and ab training, you should be doing cardio on top of that. Strength training is great for your muscles, cardio exercise is great for… your heart! There is a difference!

Because of this, I will never just do a fitness program that promises that you only have to workout 30 minutes a day (like 21DF, Insanity Max 30, T25, etc.). I know that may sound ridiculous, but I just can’t do it. I could do it while supplementing the program with other workouts, but honestly, 30 minutes just isn’t long enough for me to get dressed for it, turn on the TV, and commit. If I’m committing, I’m committing to 40+ minutes at a time minimum, and I like to roll that workout right into a TurboFire HIIT or INSANITY workout to get at least an hour of fitness in a day. It’s just how I am.

When I started getting into shape in 2006, I signed up for an extreme 10-week resistance bands and kickboxing program. I took it very seriously, and in those 10 weeks, I learned how to work my body and diet to my benefit. Each class lasted exactly 45 minutes, and the warm-ups were intense (pretty much a TurboFire finale-type set of exercises) and the stretching at the end was done in the last 2 minutes of class. We were working our hearts for 40 minutes on kickboxing days, so that is what I got used to. This worked for my body and eating style and I lost lots of weight. I repeated the same program after having kids and had even better results. Because of that, I just really can’t workout for less than 45 minutes a day (real working out, not including warm-ups and cool-downs) and I prefer at least an hour spread between 2 workouts if I’m doing strength training. If I can do 45 minutes, why not do 60, right?

It goes beyond this though. It’s about calories for me. I am a very healthy eater, but I don’t believe in denying myself the things I want just because I shouldn’t have them (note that this statement does not apply to alcohol – I really don’t drink much alcohol at all no matter how many calories I burn in a day because it’s just not worth it to me). I earn the things I want to eat by working out. I’ve written in a prior post that I don’t “diet,” and that my target NET calories per day is 1300-1350. What this means is that after exercise, I want to have a net calorie count of 1300-1350 calories each and every day. So if I burn 500 calories today, and I am targeting a net of 1300 calories, then I will consume 1800 calories today (1800 gross calories – 500 burned calories = 1300 net calories left to fuel the body). It’s basic math, and it works for me because I log everything in myfitnesspal down to the half oreo. 😉

People ask, “how many calories do you burn a day?” My husband would tell you I burn 1,000, but he’d be wrong 😉 I do not like to burn less than 300 calories a day, and I target 500 calories a day. If I can finish the day at 500 calories burned, I’m a happy gal. I’m happy because I worked my ass off, and because I got to eat some really good food that day to balance out to my net goal of 1300-1350 calories. 300-500 burned calories a day is a great target for me. People insist that I can eat anything I want, but they’re so entirely wrong. I MUST stay within my net calorie goal for the day, or the scale will punish me. It’s amazing how quickly my body can turn against me after a couple of days of poor choices.

At the end of the day, I’m just a competitive person who knows what she’s capable of. If I could run 4.11 miles two days ago, why not do at least that today? If I burned 450 calories today, then I should be able to burn 450 or more tomorrow. Of course there are days that I drop my mileage or calorie burn, but in general, this is how I think. That is how I got myself to an average daily exercise time of 60 minutes, 7 days a week. I just kept pushing harder and harder because I knew I could.

So when someone asks, “should I be doing multiple workouts per day?” my gut answer is, ‘well, yeah, of course!’ because that’s what I do. But that’s not realistic for most people, and I know that. I have a lot of time to workout as a stay-at-home-mom because if the kids are asleep or at school, I’m working out. It’s just what I do. It’s my hobby, it’s not work for me. I don’t watch TV, I don’t read during the day (I really should be reading during the day), the house is always kept up because we’re both pretty obsessive about that – so what else is there to do that’s as fun as working out? Couple that with my intimate knowledge with what, exactly, my body needs to get to where I want it to be, and I end up with a crazy amount of hours committed to exercise each week.

Now… please don’t ask me if I take rest days. 😉

H&C Challenge – Week 4 – Half Way Done!

February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 by Courtney, posted in Fitness and Health, Hammer & Chisel

Week 4 Statistics (Ending 02/02/16) – Half Way Done!

Weight: 143 pounds (down 1.6 pounds from start)
Body Fat %: 21.5% (down 1.1% from start)
Time Spent Being Active (>= 6 hours): 7 Hours 47 Minutes
- Miles Run: 12.02 Miles
- Number of Runs (>=3 runs a week): 3 Runs
Days within Calorie Goals per MFP (1390): 5 days
Exercise:
- Wednesday – Rest day; Chisel Cardio (only 8 minutes before interruption); 10 Ab Hammer (12:00); 10 Ab Chisel (11:00)
- Thursday – Ran 3.8 miles in 38:02; Walked 0.20 miles in 3:00; Chisel Cardio (37:00)
- Friday – ISO Speed Hammer (23:00); TurboFire 40 (43:00); 10 Ab Hammer (14:00)
- Saturday – Ran 4.11 miles in 36:10; Walked 0.3 miles in 6:24; 10 Hammer Abs (12:00)
- Sunday – Hammer Power (38:00); 10 Hammer Abs (12:00)
- Monday – Ran 4.1 miles in 38:34; Walked 0.38 miles in 8:00; Total Body Chisel (35:00); 10 Chisel Abs (10:00)
- Tuesday – Hammer Power (38:00); PiYo Sweat (31:00); 10 Hammer Abs (11:00)
Notes:
- I’m realizing that I just really need to be running in addition to these workouts – running whips me into shape faster than anything
- Holy smokes, I got to run outside on Saturday and it was fantastic! I ran super fast (for me) in my new shoes!
- Kept weight at 142.6-143.0 all weekend!
- Finishing at 143.0 pounds and 21.5% body fat means that I am carrying 30.75 pounds of fat right now
  - I started at 144.6 pounds and 22.6% body fat which equates to 32.68 pounds of fat
  - I’ve only lost 1.6 pounds, but I’ve lost 1.94 pounds of fat, so a good conversion is going on and that makes me happy!
Progress Photos (Week 0; Week 4 – all with flexed abs):

4 weeks front flex

The Week’s Workouts:

Measurements at 4 Weeks (Half-Way Point):
- Natural Waist: 27.25 inches (started at 28 inches, so a loss of 0.75 inches)
- Belly Button: 31.5 inches (started at 32 inches, so a loss of 0.5 inches)
- Hips: 35.75 inches (started at 35.75 inches – no change)
- Chest: 33.0 inches (started at 32.5 inches, so a gain of 0.5 inch)
- Leg (Left): 19 inches (no change)
- Arm (Left): 11.0 inches (started at 10.75 inches, so a gain of 0.25 inch)
Progress to Goals for the 8 Week Challenge:
- Finish on 03/01/2016 with a body weight loss of 6% or more
  - This is not looking to happen – shedding weight is just not in the cards for me right now
- I am targeting a loss of 2.0% or more of body fat as reported on my handheld body fat monitor
  - This could still happen if I dial in my eating better – I am down 1.1% half-way through
- I want to see major changes in my physique since this is a weight training program – I want incredible before and after photos!
  - At the half-way mark, I see some great changes: Stronger arms, more toned abs, loss of inches, veins becoming visible in my arms and abs, toned legs
- Complete 6+ hours a week of dedicated exercise
  - Spot on every week if not exceeding!
- Run 3 times a week at minimum
  - Dropped down in weeks 2 and 3 but picked up again in week 4. With weather getting better, I may hit this goal
- Complete the full Hammer and Chisel 8 week program
  - On target – not a single missed workout!
- Supplement my fitness with at least 2 BOD (bea.chbo.dy on dem.and) workouts a week
  - I’ve done 11 BOD workouts in 4.4 weeks so I’m exceeding this goal
- Stay within daily net calorie goal of 1390 calories at least 6 days a week
  - Averaging 5 days a week
- Follow as closely as possible the eating plan per the food containers supplied by H&C
  - Bah – not doing!
- By the end of the 8 weeks, I want my minimum distance on the treadmill to be 4.0-5.0 miles (need to work up after a long break in running)
  - Already there!
Starting Statistics on 01/04/2016
- Weight: 144.6 pounds
- Body Fat %: 22.6% with the handheld (x with calipers, x% with the Tan.ita scale)
- BMI: 22.6